WAR DEPARTMENT
         HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY AIR FORCES
	           WASHINGTON
 
                                           May 7, 1942.
 
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT:                      (The White House)
 
Subject: India-Burma-China Ferry Route
 
          In a memorandum dated May 4, 1942, I invited attention to the 
threat to the ferry route from India to China. All possible alternate 
routes have been considered and the three most practicable are dis-
cussed briefly herein.
 
ROUTES
 
Route A
 
Karachi - Delhi - Allahabad - Tezpur - Sadiya - China
 
          This route must be considered dangerous east of Allahabad be-
cause of the threat of the Japanese advance. In order to continue 
transport of supplies to China, it may become necessary at any time to 
operate from bases in India which are beyond the threat of Japanese 
bombardment. In order to do this, longer range aircraft will be es-
sential.
 
Route B
 
Basra or Bushire to Ashkabad by air -Ashkabad to 
Alma Ata by rail -Alma Ata to Letochow and Chung-
king by air or road
 
          This route is largely through Russian territory and would re-
quire the use of Russian facilities. Gasoline and other supplies 
needed for an intermediate stop on the air trip from Alma Ata to 
Lanchow offer some difficulties but this problem should be capable of 
solution.
 
Route C
 
Alaska - Markova - Oimekon - Yakutsk - Bodaibo -
Irkutsk - Urga - Lanchow - Chungking